


What Was Once Lost

by klonoafan5



Category: Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood & Manga
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Gen, Homunculus Edward Elric
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-21
Updated: 2018-07-09
Packaged: 2019-03-07 11:25:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 1,231
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13433727
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/klonoafan5/pseuds/klonoafan5
Summary: After finally defeating Father and the rest of the homunculi, Edward and Al can finally move on and live out normal, peaceful lives.Or so they thought.





	1. Chapter 1

Edward Elric stood silently in front of the homunculus before him, looking straight ahead as the being slowly started to deteriorate before his very eyes.

"It's over, Father." He huffed in tranquil fury. "Your reign of terror was short-lived."

"No...How...How could this be?" The godlike being yelled in complete agony and shock. "Me, a God, bested by a mere human..." His frown turned into a smile while the last of him blew with the wind. "If he should be called that anymore..."

Edward stood there in confusion. _What did he meant by that?_  But before he could continue figuring it out, a cry from May quickly brought him back to reality.

Alphonse was gone. And he was willing to go to hell and back in order to bring him back home. Even if he was to die to get there.

Without a single word, Edward went over and grabbed a nearby stick. Everyone bared witness as the young prodigy drew a huge transmutation circle around him before throwing the stick away.

"Take a good look, everyone!" He smashed his hands together, electricity crackling at his palms as he did so. "Because this is my last performance!" With that bold declaration, he pressed his hands into the circle, causing it to glow brightly.

 

Once he had opened his eyes, the teenage alchemist found himself back where he started. The Gate.

"Well, well," The white spectral being known as Truth looked at him with a amused smile. "Looks like the prodigal son finally returned. You know what will be the price for your brother's life?"

"Yeah." He placed his hand on the gate behind him. "This right here. My whole life I've been trying to find answers to questions unknown, but I’ve never noticed that the answer were right in front of me this whole time.”

”And that is?”

A smile grew on his face. “Who needs unlimited knowledge even you have friends and family waiting for you on the other side?”

"You do have a point there, but you don't need to sacrifice anything else. You already have sacrificed something greater than what you already have."

He froze. "What? What is it?"

A grin grew on Truth's face. "You'll find out soon enough. In the meantime, your brother is here. He's over at the other side."

Edward paused once he noticed the being slowly disappearing. "Wait!"

"See you later, Fullmetal Alchemist.."

The teen stood there silently before stopping to see the other gate where a certain person was waiting for him. The frail boy looked up at him with a small smile. "Took you long enough." Edward smiled at his younger brother's newfound snark.

"Hey. I said I was coming back, wasn't I?" He said with a reassuring smile as he kneeled down to his level and helped his brother up. 

His golden eyes softened. "Yeah. You did, didn't you?"

"Let's go back home, Al." The two brothers walked hand in hand towards the Gate as it opened before them. "Together.."

 

Once the fog was cleared, Edward stood in the middle of the battlefield with his brother on his back. He stumbled a bit, feeling a bit surprised to feel a bit of a change of weight on his body. 

A flash of red lightning tempted him to look down only for his eyes to grow wide once he saw what had just transpired during the transmutation.

His other leg grew back.


	2. Chapter 2

_"I'm sorry, Al. I hope you can forgive me for this.."_

"Alphonse!"

"ALPHONSE!"

The younger Elric slowly opened his eyes to find himself sitting up with a spare piece of the battlefield on his barren back. A young Xingese girl was looking at him longingly with tears in both her eyes and Xiao-Mei's upon doing so.

"Alphonse!"

"Mei..."

Roy, Riza, Ling, Lan-Fan, Hohenheim and the others smiled while watching the two embrace each other without the metal suit. While watching everyone celebrate their victory against the inhumane menace known as Father, Al had the sinking feeling that something was missing. 

Or rather someONE.

"Everyone." As soon as he opened his mouth, everyone around him had stopped to hear what he had to say. With a serious face, Al decided to ask the first thing that had came to his mind.

"Has anyone seen Edward?"

Unbeknownst to them, said boy watching the scene unfold from behind one of the buildings that were still standing even after the attack. 

His eyes softened before diverting his attention to the bottom of his right foot where there lied a ouroboros symbol right on it. 

He flinched for a moment before clutching his chest, his mind filled with the moans and groans of many people. The blond breathed heavily, sweat going down his face. A bittersweet smile grew as he continued ahead.

"Well, I guess I could use this time to get to know you guys better, huh? But before we do, let's find ourselves some place to stay for the night. I hope you don't mind wandering throughout the streets."


	3. Chapter 3

Alphonse’s eyes shot open to find himself standing in the middle of a white void.

“Huh? Where am I?”

At the corner of his eye, he saw a flash of yellow and looked ahead to see his brother standing away from him.

“Brother?”

But before he could do anything, he froze once he saw him walking away.

“Wait! Brother!”

Edward’s walk came to a halt when he embraced him, squeezing him tight as tears began to form in his eyes.

“I missed you so much! I-“

“Let me go, Al.”

Alphonse froze. “Why?”

“So I can protect you.”

“Protect me?” He repeated in confusion. “From what?”

Alphonse’s eyes widened, his hands grew shaky as two red orbs shone brightly in the darkness around him. But despite this rather threatening atmosphere growing ever so slightly, he could see the pleading, tearful look on his brother’s face, like he just got out of a fight that he was destined to lose.

“From myself.”

 

The young adult woke up startled, his face drenched with sweat as he sat in his old bedroom of his newly built childhood home. He gave himself some time to relax before drifting his attention to the light shining on his state alchemist outfit lying on the other bed that previously belonged to his brother.

Silently, he walked up to it, gazing onto the red flannel and pants before finally landing on the official watch.

He picked it up and opened it gently. Inside of it was a picture of him, Winry, and Ed back when they were only kids.

He smiled at the picture before closing it and placing it back with his daily attire. He then turned around and looked up at the full moon shining down on him and the rest of Resembool.

_Hang in there, Ed. I’m going to find you._

Alone in a empty, dark alleyway, the newly made homunculus sat there, clenching his sharpened canines while fighting the animalistic urge of shedding blood underneath the moonlight.

Once it began to fade, Edward slowly let go of his head before looking at the full moon shining down on him as well. He continued to gaze at it before smiling, as if he could hear his brother’s thoughts reaching his ears.

”Heh. I guess stubbornness is a trait in the family. Alright then...”

_I’ll be waiting, Al._  


End file.
